Garment or ironing press



Jam 20, 1931 M. M. TITTERINGTON 1,789,487

GARMENT OR IRONING PRESS Original Filed July 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lil lllllll l INVENTOR /Quul'lllhld Marr/JW MMWa/L.

l rz, A NEYS IIII Jan. 20, 1931. M M, TlTTERlNGTON 1,789,487

GARMENT OR IRONING PRESS Original Filed July 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I C//o Fig.

INVENTOR H5.' 3' Norris/7. Wife/'Infima BY l A l l 'I f/ l I l e ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 20,1931

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4- MORRIS TITTERINGTON, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE COMPANY, INC., OF SYRAGD'SE, NEW YORK, L CORPORATION OF NEW 'YORK amm on momo 'PnEss Application mea .my 1e, 192e, serial no. 152,824. i Renewed my s, i929.

end of the press lever 11 and isA adapted to be y. l closed on the work after it is spread upon k This invention relates to pressing machines.

and more particularly to steam power presses operated by Huid pressure and which is adapted for use in garment pressing and laundry ironing work and for other purposes.

Anobject of the invention to produce a. i'

` `The preing head 13 as well as the buck power.]aw'for presses, `a jaw simple indesign and construction and embodying a diaphragm-type power producing motor meansV 10 operated by steam or otherluid pressure.

A further object is to produce a novel power jaw ywith fluid-pressure motor -means placed within the jaw together with an autov matic throttle valve which is actuated by the operating means used to open and close the press, the result being to automatlcally start the-operation of the motor means after the jaws f a press. j l g Other objects of the invention will be understood from af consideration of the accompanying drawings and following description.

Changes may be made without departing from the principle of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates 4a side fragmentary viewof a garment press with the powerv jaw shown in cross section thereby disclosing a disk type expansion diaphragm employed to actuate a compression plate to produce jaw compression after the press is closed.

Figure 2 shows an example of control valves, a throttle or inlet valve and an exhaust valve, by which the flow of steam/to and from,

the diaphragm is controlled to stop and start jaw compression.

. Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the power press jaw with a part of the pressing face or' compression plate broken away to eX- pose the corrugated disk diaphragm mountcd therebelow.

Figure 4 illustrates a longitudinal section-v al view of the pressing member or power jaw in which is incorporated the improved power and the pressure producing motor means.

' Referring now tothe drawings fora furl ther description of the invent-ion,v there is shown la press frame 10 on which is mounted press lever 11 pivoted at 12 on the frame and a press head jaw 13 is carried on the forward 14-15 'are usually steam heated and when this type of press is used, the steam isV conveyed to the press through a'steam feed ipe 15 `and the same steam which is availab e to heat the press is also usedfor operating the compression motor meanswhich'makes for economy in heating andpower operating the pres because one and` the same medium is A Referring further to thel improved construction of one of the jaws, as for example the buck or lower jaw,l there is shown a stationary aw plate, support or mounting plate 14 anchored to the framell'f) and thereupon. is mounted a rigid and relatively movable compression plate 17. The two members 14 and 17 together constitute the lower press jawl and one part thereof is movably relatively to and on the other to producey jaw compression for high pressure laundry ironing work or for pressing seams and the like in the manufacture of garments. Within the composite jaw structure there is mounted a simple disk diaphragm expansion motor to perform all the work incident to producing high jaw compression. The com ression plate 17 may be made hollowif desired for the purpose'of receiving the steam intoa steamheating chamber 16 to heat the compression plate and for other use if desired.

The compression plate-may be made with aI depending marginal flange 18 having clearance from and between a corresponding upturned flange 419 made integral on the stationary jaw plate 14. The anges 18 and 19 or other means guide the compression plate 17` up and down in relationto the stationary jaw plate 14 and clearance is leftbetween the guide yflanges 18 and 19 to permit the compression plate 17 to undergo a slight oscillating or wobbling motion on, about, or in relation/to the .other plate 14 in order that its front or rear edge may travel'more i 2o f and a small amount of steam 1s therefore or less, than its other. edge thereby accom# modating itself to unevenness and irregularity of seams or other work to be pressed beconstruction.

One or more upstanding ribs -or flanges 21 are made in one of the jaw members, in this instance inthe stationary -aw late'14, and a fiat type corrugated exib e disk. dlaphragm 22 has its outer edge mounted on the rib 21 and sealed in.` by a ring 23 or other `suitable means. In this way a diaphragm steam receiving expansion chamber 24 is formed ressure tight between the 'corruf 'gated disli diaphragm 22 and the-wall of the stationary jawv late 14. f i

Itis noted t t the diaphragm 22 forms one-head of the steam expansion vchamber 24- and the solid wall of the plate 14 forms the other head of the steam expansion chamber and that the circular rib defines the wall of the steam expansion chamber. This chamber 24 possesses a small volumetric capacity uired to fill it. l

n the drawings there is shown a pressing jaw or buck provided with several, in this instance two, spaced corrugated disk diaphragmS, one being mounted in the jaw toward each end thereof, or lany suitable numi fber of ll'uid diaphragms areused for ordinary ironingand pressing operations. Tlre size or area of the press jaws and the compression required 'determines the number of and thel diameter of the disks incorporated into the press jaw. 'v

The outer edge of the corrugated disk diaphragm is hermetically sealed on one ofthe jaw members, in this instance on the stationary jaw'pl'ate 14, and the center of the disk diaphragm normally rests in contact with the compression plate 17. The expansion of the disk therefore lifts upwardly on the compression plate with great force to press it against the head and thus produce jaw compression.

A feature of "this power ress is that the motor means operates off o the same fluid pressure. steam, as used to heat the press jaws, The center of the diaphragm disk may if desired be sealed onto the inside wall of the compression plate 17 by any suitable means as for example, by a-nut 26. In the present instance, the nut 26 may to advantage be made hollow and is screwed into a steam passage leading to the heating cham ber 16 to permit steam to circulate through the heating chamber. The nut 26secures the center of the disk diaphragm 22 to one` jaw member and the perimeter thereof being secured to the other 'aw forms the steam ti ht expansion cham er 24 aforesaid into w 'ch steam is received to force upwardly on the flexible diaphragm during the press-I ing operation thereby moving the pressing plate 14 upwardly with great force. f

The flexible plate or disk type diaphragms 22, one or more thereof being used, in one or both jaws, possesses sullicient flexibility inherent therein as to rmit considerable ilexure or distortion in ltsnwall. The lexure `in the diaphragm is increased somewhat by the circular concentric corrugations spun 'into the disk 22 and when steam is turned into the compression chamber 24, a substantial pressure is exerted upwardly on the diaphragm 22 and steam at the same time flows through the `passage 28 to heat the pressing plate 17 heretofore mentioned. l

It is significant that this power press' jaw is compact, that the motor means 22 is placed adjacent and directly in contact with the rigid compression plate 17, and there are no intervening parts between the rigid press plate and steam motor means.

Steam pipes 30 transmit steam to one or more compression chambers 24 anda feed pipe 31 connects the pipes `30 with the steam supply pipe 15 heretofore mentioned. Automatic valve control means Vmay be used to open the steam into the diaphragm chambers 24v ifl desired so that when the press head1?) is closed,the diaphragms 22 automatically expand to produce jaw compression.

.A steam valve 33 is mounted in the pipe 31 and is preferably spring closed and embodies a valve stem 34 which closes upwardly7 against or in line with a valve push rod plunger 35, the upper end of which is pivotally connected' at 36 to the press lever 11.

As the press lever 11 moves downwardly, the,

valve plunger 35, held vertically by a parallel motion arm 37, impinges the valve stem 34 and opens the valve 33 thereby permitting steam to flow into the pipe 31 and hence to the one or more steam expansion chambers.

A steamexhaust valve 39 is mounted in v pipe line 31 and a control handle 40 is connected to the exhaust valve 39 which is normally held open as by a spring 41 ory other suitable means so that said valve is always open as shown in Figure 2 -in order that steam may ilowpast the valve 33 through the ex haust valve 39 and directly to the one or p more lcompression chambers 24 immediately the head13 has reached lowermost' position in contact with the workon the compression plate 17. The spring 41 therefore holds the valve 39 open as shown, with the waste or exhaust pipe 50 closed, the result of which is to leave free both hands of the operator so that he may quickly adjustthe work and draw the head 13 down thereuponl and instantly the throttle valve automatically opens to permit a flow of steam t9 the diaphragm expansion chamber which produces' instant jaw compression which continues c until the operator turns the exhaust valve 39 to permit discharge of steam from one or .more expansion chambers through exhaust pipe to atmosphere. whereupon the expansive force of the disk diaphragm subsides 10 and jaw pressure is released.v

The fact that a fiat type corrugated tiexible disk diaphragm is used makes for economy in structure and economy in steam. The steam expansion chamber 2l is relatively small.

Furthermore, the movement of the compression plate 17 is very little, just sufficient to compress the work. This is dueto the fact that the operator physically brings the'head 13 down in close engagement with the com- 20 pression plate 17 and'thework thereon before they diaphragm is acted on by steam. The

` compression plate 17 therefore moves upwardly a dista-nce substantiallv'equal to the compressional and contractional ability of the work which is verv little in actual niovement or travel of the plate 17 on the other plate 14. Therefore the movement ofthe diaphragm,

i. e., its flexure is exceedingly limited which isfan ideal working condition conducive tol long life ofthis improved motor means.

i It is`to be noted that the diaphragm 22 per-A forms a triple function in that it atfordsa compensated wobbling motion of the compres-'- sion plate 17 in relation to the, stationary buck plate 14 and hence the'compression plate 17 is mobile and adjusts itself in function when under pressure to unevenness in the work as to seams and other irregularities in the work to be pressed;` likewise the diaphragm with 40 its passage 28 aiords a flexible connection of a new kind between the two fluid chambers 16 and 24 and 'it is. evident that there are no moving parts other than the lexure of the diaphragm itself; and finally there is the .mo-

4,51 `tor-means function of the diaphragm in that it produces the necessary power to press the work under high jaw compression between the head 13 and press-buck plate 17. Hence is explainedgthe triple functions of the dia- 56 phragm. e,

is eliminated movable parts suchas stuling.

boxes and the like usually employed to con-l 'Vey fluid presure from a stationary part to a movable part. At'f; the same time the dia- 60 phragmadmits of inobility and' adjustment l of the compressionplate to accommodate unevenness met with in the work as already eX- plained. The simple motor means shown performs all three functions separately or together and the construction is of the simplest secured in service position on a frame, means y for loosely maintaining the rigid compression plate on the mounting plate during the relative motion, and motor means within the jaw to execute with great force the relative motion aforesaid. I

2. A power press jaw comprising, two plates of substantially equal area movable one relatively to the other, one of which `consticonstituting a mounting plate adapted to be secured in service position on the frame, meansV for loosely maintaining the rigid compression plate on the mounting plate during the relative motion. and a fluid-pressure actuated diaphragm carried within the 'jaw between the two plates to execute the relative motion and-constituting a single-phase'sheet-y metal flexible member the perimeter of which is sealed to one plate to form a fluid-expansion chamber and'the central portion'of which expands against the other plate:

3.'. A jaw for power presses comprising, a c stationary support member, a rigid compression plate movably mounted thereon, and a flat flem'ble sheet metal expansible diaphragm interposed between and engaging the support member and compression plate to form a tutes a rigid compression plate and the other i Huid-expansion chamber whereby said plate k and member are forced apart upon the reception of fluid pressure into the expansionchamber. f

4. A iaw for power press comprising., two relatively movable members one of which is 'a rigid compression plate. means to guide one platepn the other in relative motion, a flat sheetA-,metal expansion diaphragm mounted between the membersand having its periphery sealed onto one member, said diaphragm forming one head of a iluid expansion cham-v ber in the jaw, and means to transmit Huid pressure into the expansion chamber whereby the diaphragm applies force to the rigid compression plate. v

' 5. A jaw'for power presses comprising, two plates placeditegether for relative motion and a space formed therebetween, a rib raised on one plate within the space, a. flat sheet-metal diaphragmhaving its outer edge sealed onto the raisedrib. saiddiaphragm forming a movable head of an expansion chamber in the jaw and adapted to act against the 'other plate, said circular rib forming the wall of the expansion chamber, the plate which is integral with the rib forming .the stationary head of the expansion chamber, and means for IIJ the heating chamber,

' feeding a pressure fluid to the expansion chamber.

6. A power jaw for ressescomprising, a stationary mounting p ate, a rigid compression plate carried therewith, an integral guide flange. formed on the perimeter of each plate and slidably contained one in another to form a space between the plates, and a fluid expansion diaphragm mounted' in the space between the two'plates to act on the compression plate.

7. A power jaw for presses comprising, a stationary mounting plate, a compression plate movably mounted thereon, an inte al flange formed on the perimeter of each p ate and slidably contained one in "another to form a space, a rib raised on the stationary mounting plate between the two plates and forming the wall of an expansion chamber and said mounting plate forming one head of the expansion chamber, and a flat sheet-metal diaphragm having its outer edge secured to the rib and forming the movable head of the expansion chamber.I

8.' A power press jaw comprising, a stationary plate, a compression plate movably mounted thereon, amarginal guide flange on one of the plates overhanging the margin of the other plate to form a -closed space, several raised ribs formed on oneplate within the jaw vat intervals, and allat sheet-metal diaphragm sealed on each rib between the plates to form expansion chambers, and means to transmit fluid pressure tothe several cham- Y bers thereby enabling the diaphragms to forcibly move the compression plate.

9. A power press jaw comprising,`a compression plate provided with a steam heating chamber, a mounting member on which rests' the compression plate. a flexible 'and iiat sheetmetal diaphragm disposed between the mounting member and compression platekto 'force the plate relatively away, from the mounting memb'er, said diaphragm forming a steam reception expansion chamber, a passage leading from theexpansion. chamber to and means sealing the central portion of the diaphragm to the compression plate around the passage, which passage is formed through the diaphragm to connect the two chambers.

`phragm disk placed between .10. A power press jaw comprising, ahol'- low compression plate embodying a -fluid heating chamber with a fluid assage leading thereto, a. stationary mounting -member on which the \'compression plate rests, a dia.-

` the compression plate and mounting member and having its outer. edge secured to the mounting member to form a`. fluid-expansion chamber between the diaphragm andthe mounting member, and a hollow nut screwed into 'the aforesaid passage securing the center of the diaphragm to thecompression plate.

11. A power press jaw comprising .two'

closely spaced plates, a circular bulging motion -support to form a members, one ot which is a compression plate, said plateresting upon and .in direct contact with the other member, and a flexible metallic diaphragmplaced between the two members and sealed to one member at its periphery to form a fluid expansion chamber between tlie diaphragm and said one member and acting against the other member.

12. A power press jaw com rising two ange raised on one plate between the two plates, a flex'- ible circular corrugated flat sheet-metal expansible diaphragm having its outer edge sealedonto the flange of the one plate to form an expansion chamber, said diaphragm expansibly engaging its center a ainst the other plate, and means to supply uid pressure to the chamber.k l

13.- A power press jaw comprising two members, one of which is a compression plate, said plate resting u on and in direct'contact with the other mem r, a lat flexible metallic an sealed to one member at its periphery to form a fluid expansion chamber between the diaphragm and said one member and acting against the other member, said compression plate being provided with affluid vreceiving chambergn'eansiii the compression plate to convey iluid fromy the expansion chamber to the receiving chamber, and said means leading through theflexible diaphragm from one chamber toanother. 14..A press jaw comprising a diaphragm and a stationary support therefor, and a mov-v able compression plate engaging the diaphragm, the dia stantially flat which is rendered ilexible by circular corrugations therein concentrically formed whereby the vcorrugations increase in diameter from the centeroutwardly; `and means to seal the periphery of the diaphragm to the press jaw to form a fluid pressure expansion chamber, the corrugations of which flex to alord a of the diaphragm whereby the com resson plate is moved in relation to the stationary,support.

15. A press jaw-comprising a diaphragm and a stationary support therefor, and a movable compression plateengaging the diadia hragm placed between the two members hragin consisting of a subexible sheet-- metal member phragm, the diaphragm consisting of asubstantially flat ilexible sheet metal member which is rendered flexible by circular corrugations therein concentrically formed whereby the corrugations increase in diameter from the center outwardly; and means to seal the periphery of the diaphragm to the stationary fluid pressure expansion chamber between the diaphragm and support, means to transmit fluid pressure into the expansion chamber, whereby the concentric corrugations of the diaphragm flex underexpansion of the fluid pressure to bulge' the diaphragm against thev compression plate to iso move the latter in relation to the stationary support.

16. A press jaw comprisin twoV main parts one of` which is a mova le compression plate to directly engage the work and the other is a stationaryjsupport, the two parts being vmounted in proximate relation, a single piece sheet-metal flat-disk circularcorrugated diaphragm disposed between the two parts, the center of the diaphragm engaging one part and the periphery thereof engaging the other part, and means to sea-l the periphery of the single piece diaphragm to one part to form a fluid-pressure eXpansion chamber.

. 17. A press jaw comprising a movable compression plate provided with a fluidreceiving chamber, al stationary support for the movable compression plate, a diaphragm placed therebetween and including at least one circular sheet-metal lat-and-concentrivcally-corrugated member the central portion of which is adapted to bulge toward and move the compression plate, and a fluid passage made through that portion of the diaphragm which is adapted l to bulge, the passage thereof leading to the fluid-receiving `chamber of the compression plate, and means to seal the periphery of the sheet-metal diahragm to the stationary support to form a uid-pressure expansion chamber.

18. A press jaw comprising a movable compression plate, a support therefor, and a single sheet-metal circular-corrugated disktype diaphragm disposed therebetween and in engagement with the plate and support, the support including a shallow luid-expansion chamber and means to transmit fluid pressure thereinto,'means to seal the periphery of the diaphragm to the periphery of the fluid-expansion chamber and hence the central port-ion of the diaphragm is adapted to bulge outwardly from the fluid-expansion chamber and move the compression plate in relation to the support, said compression plate being provided with a fluid-receiving chamber, and means to transmit fluid pressure into the fluid-receiving chamber from the 'fluid-expansion chamber whereby the same Huid is used in both chambers and the latter means including a passage formed centrally through the diaphragm portion which engages the compression plate.

19. A press jaw comprising two main parts constituting a rigid compression plate and a stationary support therefor,lthe two parts being placed together to produce a compact structure., a flat sheet-metalflexible member forming an expansible diaphragm placed between and in contact with both parts, and the perimeter of the diaphragm being sealed to one part to make a fluidexpanson chamber whereby one side of the chamber is formed by the flexible diaphragm hra p glIjirovided with an opening therein pressure motor meansplaced between the plate and support and engaging both, means including a. valve to transmit fluid pressure to the motor means to produce jaw compression,-

means actuated by the operating means to automatically open the valve when the press is closed, and means to exhaust the fluid pres` sure from the motor means to relieve the jaw compression..

21. In a garment or laundry press, coacting press jaws, operating means to open and close the jaws, and one jaw including a pair of relatively movable parts one of which is'pi'ovided with a fluid receiving chamber, a flat disk type flexible diaphragm disposed between and engaging the two parts, said diaphragm being apertured, and means to seal'the edges of the diaphragm `aperture to one part with the aperture in communication with the fluid receiv-` ing chamber, whereby uid pressure may be passed thru the diaphragm aperture into the fluid receiving chamber.

22. In a garment or laundry press, coacting press jaws and operating .means to work a jaw to open and close the press, one of the. jaws comprising two main partsand including a support member Vand a compression plate movable in relation to said support member,

said support member being provided with a fluid chamber, saidy movable compression plate `being provided with a fluid chamber,

a. combination motor means and flexible fluidconnection made between the fluid chamber of the movable compression plate. and the fluid chamber of thesupport member including a flat disk-type liexible diaphragm disposed between said two main parts, means sealing the periphery of the diaphragm .to one part, means sealing the center of the diato the other part, said diaphragm be placing the fluid chambers in communication with each other, whereby the diaphragm acts as a fluid expansion motor means to produce pressure by moving the compression. plate' against the opposing jaw acts as a flexible connection by conveying uid from one part to the other.

23. In a. garment or laundry press, coacting n press jaws, operating means to open and close the jaws, and one jaw including a pair of relatively movable parts one of which is pro vided with a fluid receiving chamber, a flat disk-type iexible diaphragm disposed between and engaging the two parts,- whereby one part is rendered mobile and is adapted to undergo a compensatedaction in relation to the other to accommodate itself to irregularities in the work being pressed, said dia- Y, phragm being apertured, and means to seal A the edges of the diaphragm aperture to one partwith the aperture in communication with ,the fluid receiving chamber, whereby iiuid l pressure may be mssed thru the dia hragm a erture into the uid receiving cham r, and

t c other part also ncludng'a ace enclosed by the diaphra and which orms a fluid "expansion cham r to receive Huid pressure m t'o expand the' diaphragm to produce jaw v.compressloxa l In testimon lwhereof I'aix my si ature. MO RIS M.,TITTERING ON. 

